


Navy Rules and Regulations

by Diana_Josinne



Category: Pitch (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Navy, Awkwardness, F/M, Humor, Masturbation, Pining, Sexual Tension, lets make asses of ourselves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-05 00:30:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10293362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diana_Josinne/pseuds/Diana_Josinne
Summary: Navy AU with Mike Lawson as the captain of USS San Diego and Ginny Baker as Seaman aboard the ship.Short scenes telling how Navy fraternization policies affect Mike's and Ginny’s interactions. Ginny is causing all kinds of forbidden sensations in Mike and vice versa. They manage to make asses of themselves just about every time they bump into each other. Oh, and he doesn’t have a beard! ☹ Those damn Navy regulations…I was tossing up between M and E rating, went with E to be on the safe side. It's really not that smutty.





	1. Attraction

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t really know how the Navy works in RL, all errors are mine.

**7 weeks at sea:**

USS San Diego’s commanding officer, Mike Lawson, stood on the ship’s bridge with his hands resting firmly on his hips and his eyes monitoring the screens.

The ship was anchored not far from the Colombian coast to test ballasting. With just about every able man and woman needed on the decks, Mike had taken the watch duty on the bridge with his XO, Blip Sanders. Their crew could handle the test without them. That’s what they had been trained for. And even if Mike had wanted to participate in the action, he knew that when he was given the command of the ship a year earlier, those tasks belonged to other men and women now. But he couldn’t deny that he missed the doing-part, the adrenaline rush it gave him. He felt almost retired, because he was the captain now.

With the ship anchored and no pressing matters to deal with, Mike’s mind wandered to less consequential things. He thought of the empty apartment that waited him at home and it made him wrinkle his nose a little bit. To shake the idea, he directed his thoughts to Cartagena. Seven weeks at sea and he was already getting tired of the chow. The food was good, he couldn’t deny it, but getting meals prepared by the same person week after week, had begun to take its toll on his taste buds. The possibility of getting something other than Navy chow on their visit to Cartagena sounded tempting.

“Let’s go to a proper restaurant once we’re in Cartagena. My treat!” He said to his XO.

“Sir,” a hesitant woman’s voice answered him.

He turned his head towards the speaker, his eyes wide with surprise. When the hell did his XO leave the bridge and was replaced by a Seaman?

“Seaman,” he checked her name quickly from the nametag. “Baker. I mistook you for someone else. I apologize! I did not mean to overstep any boundaries by suggesting a dinner with you,” he managed to say to her.

“Sir,” Seaman Baker replied with face blushing red. She seemed to had lost the rest of her vocabulary within last 30 seconds.

“Carry on,” he ordered, turning his head away and cursing himself for the slip of the tongue. He could hear her turn on her heels and vanish into passageway without a word. Probably best for everyone.

Few seconds later familiar steps approached him from behind and he turned around to look at his XO.

“Where the hell did you go without saying anything?” Mike asked, annoyance ringing in his voice.

“Sir?” Blip asked, looking perplexed.

“I just asked a young female seaman to have a dinner with me once we’re in Cartagena, because I thought she was you,” Mike explained his frustration.

“How did she take it, sir?” Blip had hard time not to laugh at his commanding officer. This was so typical of Mike, the grump got annoyed when he fucked things up and couldn’t hide it. Sometimes Blip wondered how the man survived commanding a Navy ship with his temper.

“How’d you think she took it? Was probably thinking, that I’m one of those old perverts, she’s been hearing about all her Navy life!” The crease between his eyebrows deepened with every word. “Welcome aboard USS San Diego, where we take sexual harassment issues seriously! Just report to your nearest officer or captain of the ship, if you have experienced any harassment during your deployment,” he added dryly.

Seaman Ginny Baker, who was still within hearing distance, blushed even more than when she had been on the bridge. But hearing the captain talk like this stopped her from leaving. She wanted to know what he was saying to his XO. She found the grumpy man to be quite adorable.

“I hope to fucking god she doesn’t report this. What a wonderful way it would be to end a 20-year career in the Navy. First, they’d think that I was trying to get into 20 something seaman’s pants by buying her dinners and after I’d explain to them that _actually I was asking my XO to have dinner with me,_ they’d think that I was asking YOU on a date. Good luck at trying to explain to your wife, what you do while deployed for five months,” Mike sounded more bitter than sarcastic.

“Oh, you know Evelyn would never believe such a thing. She knows you’re too much of a pretty boy for my taste,” Blip laughed at him, hitting Mike’s nerve with the _pretty boy_ comment.

“Fuck you, man. Is this how you talk to your CO? Call him a pretty boy to his face?” he scowled at him. “And ladies happen to like my clean-shaven look,” he pointed out with smugness.

“I know they do! Your face is as soft as a baby’s bottom,” Blip said and pinched Mike’s cheek.

Mike raised his brows at Blip, urging him to quit before it was too late. The XO just grinned at him.

“Maybe when they give me the boot, I should just become a captain on a merchant ship and grow a beard. No more pretty boy comments after that,” Mike frowned. He was tired of being referred to as the _pretty boy commander_. He was fairly sure that even the enlisted called him that. Hell, Vice Admiral Luongo, his old CO, called him by that name, to his face. What could be more humiliating than that? To be awarded with Medal of Honor and the President refers to you as Pretty Boy Commander in his speech? FUCK! He just wanted to throw himself overboard when he thought about the nickname.

“Yeah, maybe a beard could make you a little more believable,” Blip agreed and received a humorless smile from Mike. “Like a modern-day Captain Haddock!” He added to twist the blade in his wound.

“Did you seriously just compare me to a drunk Englishman? I should slam your ass in the brig for insubordination.” Mike commented surly. What was his life? His closest friend and XO giving him shit 24/7?

“Do you really want to get rid of the only man who tolerates your grumpy ass aboard this ship?” Blip wanted to know.

Ginny had to cover her mouth with her hand in the passageway to avoid laughing out loud. All the sudden the captain seemed a lot more agreeable and lot less the uptight asshole, she had considered him to be up till now. He actually seemed like a guy with a sense of humor, a sarcastic little shit. And she had to admit, he was every bit the _pretty boy commander_ everyone called him below decks.

 

 

**9 weeks at sea:**

Ginny saw from the corner of her eye a blue camo uniform and dark hair pass by the door. Finally, she had a chance to tell the fellow seaman what she thought of his redneck misogynist behavior and unprofessional antics towards women. She had been brewing her speech for couple of days now and she felt like her time had come.

“Hey, get your ass back in here,” she said loudly enough to attract the guy’s attention. The douche bag was going to get what he deserved, a full Ginny Baker bashing of the verbal kind.

Mike stopped in his tracks, astounded by the order that had been given to him. This had better have a damn good explanation or there would be some serious consequences.  He took couple of backward steps, stopping at the open door.

“Excuse me?” As soon as he had said it, he saw who had ordered him to get his ass back in there. He found himself staring at Seaman Baker’s terrified face. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who knew how to make a fool of himself.

“Sir!” Once she saw whose ass she had ordered back, Ginny stormed up and stood in attention.

“Seaman Baker?” He didn’t have any other choice than use his strict commander’s tone of voice when he spoke to her. Not after how she had addressed him, his ass. “And what has my ass done to offend Seaman Baker?” He asked wryly, looking like he was about to bite her head off.

“Sir, I mistook you for someone else, Sir!” Ginny replied with eyes facing forward, not daring to sneak a glimpse of the captain.

“And who is this someone else, that you mistook me for, Seaman Baker?” His tone was still harsh.

“A fellow seaman. A friendly banter, nothing for the captain to be worried about,” Ginny explained herself, thinking that this wouldn’t end well. Especially with him interrogating her and gazing her with those pretty eyes of his.

“Be careful in the future, whose ass you order around,” he instructed her. He could have easily given her a formal reprimand. Remembering what had happened two weeks earlier on the bridge made him think it to be only fair, that he would ignore this. To be honest, he just wanted to get away from the situation before he would lose his cool and do something unadvisable. This woman turned him on just by existing. “Carry on, Seaman Baker,” he noted and stepped back into the passageway. He rolled his eyes at her, himself and the whole situation. An amused smile appeared on his lips. Seaman’s face had been quite something, when she had realized who he was. Then the thought of him getting hard just by looking at her made his face turn serious. This was not good.

Inside the cabin, Ginny buried her face into her hands. She did not have a very good track record when it came to bumping into the captain of the ship. She could only wonder what else equally mortifying would happen during their shared time aboard USS San Diego?

 

**12 weeks at sea:**

“Sir, there’s been a minor accident on one of the vehicle decks,” Blip said as he stepped into CIC.

Mike stood in front of one of the monitors, hands crossed, and glanced over his shoulder at Blip.

“Accident?”

“One of the Humvees wasn’t secured properly and moved because of the swells,” Blip elaborated what had happened.

“Any injuries,” Mike asked. He hated getting these kinds of news, accidents happening because of negligence.

“Two minor injuries, Petty officer Voorhies got a concussion and Seaman Baker has a dislocated shoulder. Both should be able to return to active duty in a week or so,” Blip explained the situation.

Hearing Blip mention Ginny’s name made Mike shift from one foot to another.

“And has the vehicle been secured now?” Mike wanted to know.

“Yes, I checked it myself,” Blip confirmed. He had not only checked the shifted Humvee but all of them, to be sure, that they were properly secured.

“Thank You. I’ll visit the hospital later today,” Mike said, rubbing his little finger with his thumb. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to see Ginny Baker injured. But again, duty dictated his actions. He should just go to the hospital now and be done with it. He sighed, with his shoulders dropping at the exhale.

Mike stepped inside the ship’s hospital, where a medic was adjusting Ginny’s arm sling.

“Sir,” the medic greeted the captain and Mike nodded at him. Ginny, who was sitting with her back facing the door, had to wait for him to walk on her other side, to see who it was.

When she saw that it was the captain, she automatically fixed her posture.

“Sir,” Ginny didn’t know how to be. She couldn’t really salute him, standing in attention was out of the question too and her shoulder hurt like hell with her sitting up like that.

“Seaman Baker, I heard you dislocated your shoulder in an accident,” he said, with his eyes firmly on hers.

“It’s nothing, Sir,” she assured, looking back at him. Here she was in a tremendous pain and only thing she could think was, why did the man have to be so god damn appealing? And those eyes, they were like pools of sex where Ginny wanted to drown herself in.

“Well, sometimes these things cannot be avoided, accidents,” Mike had to think every word twice before saying them, so that he wouldn’t make an ass of himself again. They’d had enough awkward encounters to last for a lifetime.  

“Yes, Sir,” she agreed with him, trying to keep cool, but she felt the blood rush to her cheeks.

“I will get you pain medication,” the medic interrupted their conversation and headed to the hospital’s pharmacy.

Ginny tried to get off from the examination table and Mike offered her a hand to help her down. He held on to her good arm to give her support, when she jumped down. He could feel his fingertips tingling from touching her skin.

“Thank you, Sir,” she said, eyes somewhere on the wall behind him.

He just wanted to kiss her, right there, right now. Stick his tongue down her throat and grope her ass.

“Step the fuck up,” he thought to himself. What kind of a 36year old officer has the hots for a 24year old Seaman? A sleazy one, he pointed out angrily.

“Get well soon, Baker. We need you back in the ship’s complement sooner rather than later,” he wanted to get away from her vicinity as quickly as possible. “Petty Officer Voorhies?” He asked from the medic who returned with Ginny’s pain killers.

“Behind the curtain, Sir,” the man replied motioning towards the beds.

 

**14 weeks at sea:**

Mike saw Ginny walk on the deck in her work uniform, her arm free from the sling. He was relieved that she had recovered from her injury well enough to return to duty.

“Hey, Baker, I see your hand is as good as new,” he heard a dark-haired man comment.

“Thanks, Robles! We can have that ping pong tournament soon. Get ready to lose big time,” she quipped back.

“You know, I’ll never let you win, Baker. I’ve got a triple championship to defend,” the guy told her.

Mike hated that an enlisted Seaman was allowed to flirt with her, when he couldn’t even talk to her, without it causing speculation. He saw Ginny walk towards the ladders, probably heading to the passageway where he was standing. Surely, he had the right to ask how his sailor was recovering from her injury without it being inappropriate and against the regulations?

He watched her climb the ladders up, being careful not to put too much pressure on her right hand. The ship pitched a little as she reached the top of the ladders and the unexpected movement rocked her balance.

“Don’t use your right hand, don’t use your right hand, don’t use your right hand,” was the only thing that went through her mind, when she tried to find her balance again. She took a step forward and another back, then there was a second pitch, that threw her forward again. 

Mike, who saw what was happening, took a step forward to give her help. He didn’t need one of his sailors hospitalized or thrown overboard, if he could stop it. Third pitch. She slammed against him, with his hand, that was reached out to help her, landing on her left boob.

At that moment, Ginny wished there were cameras pointing at them. The expression on his face was priceless and she would have wanted a picture of it to post on her Facebook page. Not to get him in trouble, but to show what an impeccable timing could do. His eyes were wide from shock, mouth gaping open and not a word coming out. He pulled his hand back, lifting it as far away from the crime scene as possible. This was the first time that Ginny saw him blush.

“Jesus Mary mother of God, send a fucking meteor to my head right now!” Mike cursed his own existence silently.

“Easy there, sailor,” she let out and bit her lip for saying something like that. Why couldn’t she just keep her mouth shut when the captain was around?

“Seaman Baker, I assure you, that was a pure accident,” Mike stammered in his response, cheeks still rosy.

“It never happened,” she lifted her hand up as if to form a forcefield between reality and what should have happened.

“Good,” was the only thing he managed to say. “Excuse me, I have a ship to command,” he continued after an agonizing pause and turned around. He could hear Ginny’s muffled laugh behind him

“Fuck my life,” he thought, as he stepped onto bridge. “ _I have a ship to command…_ Idiot!”

“I see you had a close encounter with a female sailor there,” Blip snickered.

“Would you believe me, if I told you, that it was the same seaman I asked for a dinner?” Mike sounded defeated.

“Seriously?” Blip was grinning widely. He found it extremely amusing how Mike had fucked up in front of the same seaman multiple times now. Usually the guy was on top of his game. Maybe this was a sign?

“Yeah, now she can add another chapter to her memoirs, called _When the captain groped my boob._ Although, I don’t know if she’s writing her memoirs or statement for my sexual harassment trial,” he looked and sounded beaten and felt like he had hit the rock bottom of his professional life. Things couldn’t get worse than this.

 

**15 weeks at sea:**

Mike knew it was bad when the sex dreams started. They were explicit depictions of him shoving his hard cock deep in Seaman Baker’s pussy in less than orthodox surroundings, in the cockpit of a CH-46 Sea Knight parked on the flight deck, against the map table in the CIC or even on the bridge, where this whole thing had initially started. He just wanted to fuck her into oblivion and start all over again, make her cry out his name.

He blamed his sexual frustration for this. It had been building up all year and was now culminating in him wanting to fuck a Seaman. Otherwise he wouldn’t have spared another thought for her. He had given his life to the Navy and what did he get in return? He was promoted to commander a year ago and was given his own ship to command, while some fucking jody, a heart surgeon, on top of it all, with 7 figure salary was banging his wife back home.

Rachel had been courteous enough to wait until after he had been promoted, to tell that she was seeing someone, that she wanted a divorce. Fuck with that, Mike had thought and just carried his stuff away from their home. He had his Navy, it was his first love, so why not the last one? All he would have needed was a proper handjob or a quick fuck every now and then, but Navy didn’t provide those. What a selfish mistress it was.

Then there was the stress at work. He was responsible for the lives of 379 men and women. Maybe him being the commander would have been easier, if his personal life had been in order. Instead, he was supposed to be an example, a life coach to 23year old sailors, when his own life was in shambles. To avoid any potential catastrophes, he had concentrated on work, not giving a second thought to his private life. It had worked fine this far, but then Seaman Baker had entered his world. A fucking 24year old woman, who could derail his world simply by existing.

Now the only thing he could think was sex, with her, against every possible surface that could be found on an amphibious transport dock, better known as USS San Diego (LPD-22), his home. Not good, when you’re supposed to command a warship and you’re thinking with your dick. Again, he had to push his personal thoughts aside and concentrate on the job. Easier said than done when your semi-hard dick is demanding for attention.

To fix the situation, he took up meditation. He hadn’t done it in years, and found some help in it. But the thought of someone walking in on him, while he was sitting on his bed, cross-legged like some Buddhist monk, interfered with his ability to let go. Then he decided that he didn’t care and he felt much better about himself.

“I’m going to be so Zen after this, that the ship’s crew consisting of only Playboy Bunnies wouldn’t distract me,” he thought, while sitting on his bed, concentrating on his breathing. He was going to be fine.

 

**18 weeks at sea:**

Just like guys talked about women and judged them, women did the same when it came to guys. That didn’t differ aboard USS San Diego.

“I think the captain is easy on the eyes, he’s got a nice ass”, Ginny said casually to her friend Cara. Surely, she wasn’t the first woman to notice that?

“Sweetie, I don’t spend my days ogling middle aged men and their asses, so I wouldn’t know anything about that,” the woman replied to her with a smirk.

“Me neither, but I’m just saying I’ve noticed it,” Ginny pointed out, but who was she kidding? She took every chance she got to look at the captain’s ass. It was an exemplary piece of well-formed posterior.

“Well, I’m more interested in my own age group than the geriatric ward,” Cara pointed out with a laughter.

“He’s like 36, not 63,” Ginny corrected Cara’s assumption.

“Same thing, if you ask me,” Cara remarked like it was no big deal.

“No, it’s not,” Ginny defended her opinion.

“My eyes are on the asses of men in their mid to late twenties. They’re age-appropriate,” Cara explained to her.

“Fine, whatever. There’s more adult men left for me,” Ginny laughed thinking that maybe she had a type and maybe that type was a grumpy, 30-something Navy commander, with pretty eyes… and a good ass.

“I’ve been admiring Petty Officer Salvamini’s qualities myself,” Cara admitted almost reluctantly.

I know for a fact, that he has a family back home. So, stop whatever you’re thinking,” Ginny chastised her friend, even though she knew, that Cara was just admiring the guy’s assets. Nothing wrong with that.

What she didn’t know, was that the air duct of the compartment was connected to three compartments down the passageway, where the captain was standing with the electronics technician and could hear every word she was saying. Mike stood with his hands crossed, facing the man and pursed his lips together.

”I guess it’s not just women who face being objectified in the Navy,” the officer said, raising his eyebrows. “Too bad we can’t be sure who said that. I mean, if you wanted to take the matter further,” he continued when Mike didn’t say anything.

Mike knew exactly which one of the 43 women aboard the ship had said it. He recognized Seaman Baker’s voice without slightest hesitation. Was it the way she said _ass_ or something else, but he knew it was her. And fuck, her words made him horny and maybe little proud of his ass.  

“Well, it’s nice to know that my many years of hard work and dedication to serve our nation haven’t been wasted and I’m appreciated for the right things.”

“So, the wiring in this compartment…” the officer steered the discussion back to the issue at hand. He felt that they were on dangerous waters.

“Yes, let’s talk about the wiring,” Mike agreed, happily getting his mind off Seaman Baker.

Few minutes later Mike stopped in front of Ginny on the passageway, blocking her way just by standing there.

“Seaman Baker,” he greeted her with a knowing smile on his face and Ginny couldn’t help but think, had he heard what she had just said to her friend.

“Sir!” She greeted him, taking a step back.

“What is it with you and my ass?” He asked from her, head slightly tilted, one brow raised.

She just wanted the sea to swallow her whole.

“Sir,” she started but every word stuck to her throat.

He took a casual look around to see if they were alone and when he saw that the passageway was clear, he stepped forward.

“Does Seaman Baker want to touch it?” He asked leaning over her, with an interrogative expression on his face. His warm breath brushed over her skin, making Ginny shiver.

Ginny gulped loudly. She had never felt more aroused and he was just asking her a question, not even touching her. It was the way he carried himself and made her feel little threatened just by being there. She knew what she felt was wrong and it turned her on even more.  

“It’s OK if you do. I don’t mind,” he continued with a serious tone, his face not giving away any feeling. Ginny wondered if the captain was testing her somehow. To see if she was fit to serve under his command.

They were interrupted by approaching steps, people talking to each other and Mike stepped away from her. Standing with few feet between them, he looked like a captain addressing a Seaman, nothing abnormal about that.

“Sir,” the passing officers addressed their captain and Mike nodded at them. Once they were gone, he glanced over to Ginny.

“Seaman Baker,” he nodded at her and walked away, leaving her hot and bothered. He wondered, when the hell did he become this sleazebag? Out with the Zen, in with the perpetual horniness.

\--

Ginny couldn’t get the captain off her mind that evening and when the night came, she masturbated in the almost non-existing privacy of her rack, thinking about him. She had the ship’s leaflet opened to the page of CO’s picture and pinned on the overhead of her rack. The dim light seeping in through the opening of her pull curtains gave her just enough light to distinguish his face against the grey background. His breath on her skin was still vivid in her memory and the sound of his voice echoed in her ears. With her hand in her panties, she let her fingers slide over her clit, giving it a demanding rub and she pushed her fingers inside her pussy. She was sure it had been wet ever since the captain had leaned over her earlier that day. She imagined what his dick would feel like inside it, thinking it would fill every corner of it, preferably in a rough manner. The thought made her tremble and she had to bite the back of her free hand to keep her from moaning and alerting others in the berthing area. She kept on going for few minutes and when she came, her body jerked so violently, that she almost kicked the top of her rack in the confined space she had to operate in. She could hear someone rolling over in her rack and thought that she had been heard. She kept her hand on her mouth to silence her panting, a tired smile spreading on her face. As she wound down from her ecstatic state, shame crept in. Shame of using the captain as a way to get herself off.

Had she known that the captain was using the memory of her to do exactly the same in his quarters, she wouldn’t have felt so ashamed for what just went down.

Mike had his hand around his hard cock, stroking it in a steady pace, with his other hand and forehead resting against the shower wall. His quiet, satisfied moans echoed in the solitude of his quarters, as he pictured Seaman Baker on her knees in front of him with her mouth on his cock. The warm water pouring down his back soothed his tensed muscles, making him close his eyes. He could literally smell her, even if she wasn’t anywhere near. He jerked off, thinking what her pussy would taste like. The idea of having her thrust her cunt against his mouth made him groan loudly. His throbbing cock demanded for a quicker pace and he clenched it tighter, giving it harder strokes. It made his body shudder uncontrollably, sending him over the edge.

“Fuck, Baker” and “Shit, fuck” escaped his lips as he came all over the shower, dropping on to his knees in the too small space. His shampoo and soap came tumbling down as he crashed against the shower wall, rattling its foundations. He sat on his ass with his back resting against the wall, bringing his knees to his chest and letting his breathing even out. Despite feeling satisfied, he couldn’t beat the thought, that what he had done was somehow filthy.

“You fucking dirty old man,” he disciplined himself for thinking about Ginny when he masturbated, but he also hadn’t felt this good in ages. He closed the shower and got up lazily. He didn’t bother putting on clothes after drying himself and fell on his bed naked, falling asleep with contented smile on his lips.

After the night, it was painfully clear to him that he couldn’t have her on his ship. Not if he wanted to keep his career. It would be impossible if that Siren was luring him into his untimely demise. And how was he supposed to tell her, that he was going to get her reassigned to another ship, because he didn’t trust himself to be able to keep his dick in his pants? Maybe that’s exactly how he should tell it to her. Just say it like it was.

 

**18 weeks, 2 days at sea:**

“Seaman Baker,” Mike nodded at Ginny as she stepped in his office.

“Sir,” Ginny replied, not knowing what was about to happen. Her eyes wandered around his office, looking for a hint of his private life. Nothing, only items of his military career.

“I can’t have you on my ship, Baker,” he said bluntly.

Ginny’s eyes widened.

“And you know why that is,” he continued, looking into her eyes.

“Are you going to send me away while we’re at sea,” she asked little too familiarly.

Mike stood up from his chair. He didn’t feel good about this. _Send me away_ sounded like she was his toy and he was tired of her.

“What do you think I should do?” He asked her opinion.

“We’re returning home in three weeks. Can it not wait until then? I feel that you reassigning me now, would only make people talk,” the topic and the discussion had somehow passed the requirements for her to address a senior officer as _Sir_. And he was happy she didn’t call him that. It would only have made him feel even more of a dickhead than he already was.

“Then I will take care of this once we’re back home,” he agreed.

“Thank you,” she knew, that he was right about this. This wasn’t the right place for her. Not with how she felt about him. Having the hots for a ship’s commanding officer was not advisable.

“I’ll make sure that this doesn’t show up in your service record as a negative thing,” he promised, not exactly knowing how he’d handle it though.

Ginny nodded.

“You should probably go now,” his voice was coarse.

“Yes, Sir,” Ginny nodded. Somehow, she was relieved that this thing would come to an end, but part of her was sad for the same reason. Part of her didn’t want to serve under any other captain than Mike Lawson. Part of her wanted to know that he was never far away, even if he was unattainable.

 

**21 weeks at sea, outside home port, San Diego**

Ginny had done her best to avoid the captain for the remaining three weeks. She tried to keep to herself during her free time to avoid bumping into him, volunteered in duties that kept her away from the bridge and managed to steer clear of him until the very last day at sea.  

Mike had to know what he was giving up. He had to know if Ginny Baker was, what he thought she was. He also knew that she had been deliberately avoiding him for the past three weeks. That didn’t affect his need to see her now. After checking the duty lists, he headed towards vehicle decks to find her. He met her on a passageway leading to the lower decks.

“Seaman Baker,” he said, standing in front of her, only one feet between them.

“Sir,” Ginny could feel the warmth radiating from him, smell his aftershave. Why did he have to smell so good?

“I have sent your papers to the administration this morning,” he told, to let her know that he had proceeded with the reassignment request.

“Thank you, Sir,” Ginny replied, looking like she tried to find an escape route from the situation.

Mike thought that it was now or never. He glanced around, like he had done before, to make sure no-one was around. When he was sure they were alone, he leaned in to kiss her, capturing her mouth with his, expecting to face opposition from her. But instead, she kissed him back, first softly then a bit more demandingly. He pressed her against the metal structure behind them, his fingers dancing on her hip. She tasted good, too good. Her hand wandered on his butt, squeezing it lightly and making him smile against her lips.

“Is your curiosity now satisfied,” he referred to her earlier comments about his ass.

“Yes, Sir,” she admitted willingly. She had wanted to touch his butt since that day on the bridge.

“Goodbye, Seaman Baker,” he whispered in her ear. “You’re the best mistake I almost made.”

He took a step back, wiping the corner of his mouth. His eyes were warm and friendly.

“Sir,” Ginny felt shaky from the kiss and she had to gather all of her willpower to turn around and walk away from him. She could feel his gaze in her back, as he watched the distance between them grow bigger.

“Maybe this wasn’t the end for them, but the beginning,” he thought to himself.


	2. Conflicted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and Ginny are no longer assigned to the same ship but have they forgotten each other? They're about to find out, when their ships take part in the same war exercise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the wonderful feedback I got for the first chapter and apologies for the lack of replies. Work has consumed all of my time and energy over the past month and a half and haven't really been online or had time to write. That's why it also has taken so long for me to update this or any other story.

”Sir!” Mike greeted Vice Admiral Al Luongo from the doorway.

“Mike, come on in,” the grey-haired man welcomed the younger officer. “Beer?” He offered and handed Mike a bottle from the fridge without waiting for an answer. Al sat down on his chair and drank from his own, earlier opened bottle.

“Thanks,” Mike took the beer and followed Al’s example by sitting down on an empty chair. He opened the bottle and threw the cap in the bin. “Keeping busy?” He asked after taking a swig of the beer and looking at the piles of paper lying around Al’s desk.

“Well, we do have an Amphibious Warfare Exercise coming up in few days, which I’m sure you noticed from the dozens of docked ships you passed by on your way here,” Al said. He was in good spirits. Months of planning and preparing were finally about to pay off now that the exercise was to start in three days.

“Yeah, that and the orders I received from the Navy to haul my ass back to San Diego for the exercise,” Mike replied with a smirk on his face.

“Don’t sound so overly excited,” Al commented Mike’s sarcastic tone cheerfully.

“No, I’m excited. A break from the routines is always welcome,” Mike reassured his old CO.

“How are you doing, Mike?” Al’s tone changed from cheerful to more serious. He knew Mike and the fact, that he didn’t voluntarily tell if something was bothering him. Al was used to prying info from him, if he wanted to know how he was really doing.

“Everything’s good, the crew’s been training for weeks and she’s ready for the exercise. In shipshape, so to speak,” Mike was confident that the ship and its crew were on top of their game.

“I asked how YOU are doing, not your ship,” Al had to clarify, what he had meant.

“Oh, I’m… I’m good,” it hadn’t crossed Mike’s mind, that Al wanted to know how _he_ was doing.

“So, you’ve gotten over the divorce?” Al treaded carefully. He knew he was entering dangerous waters with this subject. When the divorce had still been a work in progress, Mike had refused to talk about it altogether.

Mike’s brows raised at the question. Why wouldn’t he have gotten over the divorce? It was ancient history by now, happened two years ago. Had he done something to indicate otherwise?

“Yeah, everything’s good with that too,” he replied, sounding like it was no big deal, a mundane thing.

“And have you found someone new? It’s not good to be alone, Mike,” Al offered his opinion, trying not to sound like he was giving him the third degree or teaching him life lessons.

“I think my last attempt on relationship showed that it’s exactly, what’s not good for me,” Mike evaded the question. He wasn’t ready to talk about his non-existing love life with the vice admiral, even if the man had been his father figure for the past twenty odd years. Or maybe that was the exact reason Mike didn’t want to talk to him about it.

“One failed marriage doesn’t mean that you should be alone for the rest of your life,” Al pointed out.

“I just don’t see it working, me being in the Navy and having a relationship with someone. I would always be facing the accusations of not being home enough and giving my life to the Navy, not investing in the marriage,” Mike’s response sounded like he was talking about his marriage with Rachel, rather than a potential future one.

“I was with my wife for over 3 decades before she passed away and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. We had a wonderful marriage and she always supported me and my career choices. The Navy may be your first love, but it doesn’t rule out having a loving and balanced relationship with a woman. Some of them even understand the life you lead. You’ll find someone sooner or later,” Al made a knowing face and strengthened his message by waving the neck of the beer bottle at Mike's direction.

“Well, I haven’t really been looking for that someone, so finding love can be little difficult. Besides, I’m deployed for over half of the year anyway,” Mike said dryly.

“Like they say, sometimes it finds you the moment you least expect it,” Al seemed to have an answer to every excuse Mike was giving him.

Al’s words made Mike wonder, what if his ‘least expected moment’ had been last year with Seaman Baker aboard USS San Diego? The chemistry between them had been undeniable, but all the odds were against them from the first moment they met, the fraternization policies, age difference, her being a ray of sunshine and him being grumpy man, not to mention the fact, that they both managed to look like idiots in each other’s company.

“Maybe! Maybe some things aren’t meant to happen,” Mike said cryptically, leaving Al to think, that he was talking about him finding new love, when in reality he meant that him and Seaman Baker weren’t meant to be.

“Maybe, but you shouldn’t forget that there’s life outside the Navy. And what happens when your 40 years are up? You’ll retire and fall on empty? All the sudden the meaning of life has disappeared and you sit alone in your apartment, asking yourself, what went wrong. I’ve seen it happen too many times, Mike. Don’t make the same mistake so many men have done before you,” the senior officer, with almost 40 years of service, seemed to know what he was talking about. Many of his friends had already retired and many of them were probably alone, facing old age without a life’s companion.

“I don’t see a reason to chase something that’s likely to fail,” Mike’s cynicism was evident in his words. To Al it sounded almost like he had given up.

“Don’t pass by an opportunity if you see one. You could regret it for the rest of your life,” Al advised Mike, wanting the best for him.

Mike finished his beer in silence.

“Thanks for the beer. I should be getting back,” he placed the empty bottle on the table, next to the one Al had emptied a moment earlier.

“Oh, before you go, I saw your mother the other day. You should call her every now and then,” Al’s words came out of the blue.

“My mother? Isn’t she in Florida, trying to separate rich retirees from their assets?” The creases on Mike’s forehead appeared the moment he heard his mother mentioned.

“She’s not trying to swindle rich men and no, she’s not in Florida at the moment. She’s staying with her friend outside San Diego. When exactly was the last time you spoke to her?” Al’s tone was almost reprimanding.

Mike couldn’t tell for sure when he had last spoken with his mother. He was fairly certain he had already divorced from Rachel by that time or at least separated from her.

“It’s been a while. We don’t get along,” he replied, when he couldn’t give a more precise answer.

“She’s still the only mother you have,” Al reminded him, knowing that Mike wasn’t going to budge easily.

“Well maybe she should have acted like one, then!” Mike commented as he got up from his chair and made his way towards the door.

“I’m not asking you to start having Sunday brunches with her. Just call her, Mike,” Al tried to act as referee.  

“I’ll think about it,” Mike promised. He wasn’t going to think about it. He had chosen a long go to keep his interactions with his mother to a minimum to avoid a conflict with her.

 “I’ll see you on Thursday in the briefing then,” Al said, hoping to end their discussion on a positive note.

“Yeah, see you on Thursday,” Mike said, before leaving Al’s office.

 

\--

Mike walked back to his ship, contemplating what Al had said about being alone. He knew the old man was right, but at the same time, he thought how everything in his life proved that being alone was the right choice, trust issues caused by an absent father and less than perfect mother, a failed marriage, the fear of ending up alone again weighing more in his mind, than the possibility of ever finding someone to share his life with. He didn’t believe he could cope with another disappointment. And even if he was open to the idea of being with someone, he couldn’t have the only person he wanted, Seaman, or more precisely Petty Officer Ginny Baker.

Although their paths had crossed only briefly during her short assignment to USS San Diego, it had been obvious from the start, that Ginny Baker wasn’t like any other woman he had ever met. She was like a force of nature he couldn’t escape and he had been completely smitten by her. Like a teenage boy having his first crush, making a fool of himself, when he didn’t know how to act around her.

Mike couldn’t deny the fact that he hadn’t felt this strongly about anyone before her, not even about Rachel. He had been in love with Rachel, but he was mad about Ginny Baker. Eleven months without seeing her and he still dreamt about her, was turned on by her, couldn’t get sleep because of her. All this without him really knowing her. It was as if he was bewitched by the idea of her and it mattered more than reality, where two people get to know each other before they become infatuated or fall in love with each other.

Her being aboard USS New York, passing somewhere through Panama Canal to take part in the same war exercise with USS San Diego didn’t help. With them being thousands of miles apart, made it somewhat manageable for Mike to try to live with his forbidden feelings, but her being in close proximity, docked only few hundred yards away from his ship, seemed like a potential problem.

Keeping it in his pants had been struggle when she was under his command and now that she wasn’t, it could be even more difficult. The rules and regulations of officers fraternizing with enlisted personnel had not disappeared anywhere. The Navy still believed in the chain of command and thinking with your dick was considered misconduct in that connection and frowned upon in general.

On the other hand, would the Navy regard the sin deadly, now that him and Baker were serving in different fleets and he wasn’t her captain anymore? Could a senior officer be allowed to have a personal relationship with an enlisted sailor? If yes, Mike wasn’t convinced his sense of duty and honor would be enough to keep his desire for her in check.

Would she even want him if they could be together or were his feelings purely one-sided? The attraction between them had been real, but there was no way of knowing if she felt anything remotely similar towards him. He had seen the pictures of that beanpole four eyes on her Facebook page. ( _Yes, he had checked her Facebook page on several occasions, just to see how she was doing, not to stalk her.)_ She could be happily in a relationship with the guy, not sparing a thought for some sorry commander. And here he was, pining over her like she was the only woman on earth. The more he mulled over it, the surlier he got. Clearly, it was stupid to presume, that a young woman like Ginny Baker could ever be interested in an old man like him. Downright ludicrous.

 

\--

Ginny had never passed through the Panama Canal before and with every canal lock opening and closing, that brought her closer to San Diego Naval Base, she felt more restless. The possibility of seeing her old shipmates was something she looked forward to and was excited about. The reason for her unrest and nervousness was the high-ranking officer, who was commanding USS New York’s sister ship USS San Diego. The man who had turned into the embodiment of sex appeal in her mind. None other than Commander Mike Lawson.

She groaned at the possibility of seeing the live version of him, instead of the paper copy she still looked at, to get herself off. The shame of using him as a way to get sexual satisfaction, had long since faded and all that was left, were the hopes of him being there in person when she came.

Almost a year not seeing him and still he could shake her world just because he existed.

She didn’t understand why she couldn’t get him off her mind. The sexual tension between them couldn’t be the only explanation. She had never before been this attracted to a man, without knowing him personally. All she knew about the commander, was what anyone knew, his career, the public side of him. Keeping in touch with her old shipmates kept Ginny on the map, where he was at any given time during his deployments, but other than that, he was just a stranger with oceans and continents between them.

No-one could blame Ginny for the lack of trying to forget Commander Lawson, but her attempt had been failing every step of the way. Her thing, or whatever it should have been called, with Noah was a mere distraction, an attempt to treat the symptoms instead of the cause. It had been clear to her, that the spare wasn’t a match to the original part, when she had closed her eyes when they were having sex, so that she could imagine Mike in his place. 

She had told Noah, as gently as possible, that it wasn’t working between them, giving him the Navy life as an excuse to end it before it became too serious. The Navy life didn’t have anything to do with her breaking up with him. She had blamed herself for not being able to connect with Noah, that she would break up with a guy for some fantasy she had about another man. A fantasy that would never come to pass. Yet, she refused to be rational about her crush on the commander.

Now she was to be close to Mike again. There wouldn’t be oceans or continents separating them this time. She’d have to rely on her common sense to tell her to keep away from him. Right now, it wasn’t doing its job. The man had occupied her mind every waking moment ever since they had headed towards San Diego. She was conflicted with the fear and hope of seeing him. Ginny felt, that it she did see him in San Diego, it would either end in a catastrophe, leaving her more frustrated than she already was or it would be a way for her to get over him. Maybe if she saw that he was just a regular guy, instead of some unachievable myth, she’d finally get her feet back on the ground.

For now, she wasn’t thinking straight when it came to him. Remembering what his lips had felt like against hers, when he had kissed her on their last day at sea, sent her heart racing. She could still remember the smell of his aftershave mixed with the smell of the ship and what his body had felt like, when he was pressed against her, how she had wanted him that day, how she still wanted him.

Then a single thought made her waver. Doubt was trying to extend its tentacles inside Ginny’s hesitant mind. What if she had imagined everything between them, what if Commander Mike Lawson didn’t give a fuck about her? The fear of her feelings being one-sided was crushing her. What if he didn’t even remember her?

 

\--

Mike was petrified to visit USS New York because of his feelings for Petty Officer Baker. He didn’t know how he would react if he met her. He had to remind himself how he waltzed through nearly impossible situations in his life, especially in his professional life, with false confidence, disguising it as something people would most likely consider cockiness and self-conceit. He’d have to pretend to be the Commander Lawson everyone knew, the man who never doubted himself and if he occasionally did, certainly never showed it. It was the role he had played for years, mastering it to the perfection. If only his one weakness, managing to look like a complete ass in front of Petty Officer Baker, wouldn’t surface again. As hard as he had tried to avoid it in the past, that’s exactly what had always happened.

The closer Mike got to USS New York, the edgier he felt. With a heavy sigh, he approached the grey ship he knew so well, without ever setting foot on it. He hastened his steps to get there in time for the meeting with its captain. The quicker he got there, the quicker he would get away from there.

Mike saluted the officer of the deck at the gangway and asked for a permission to come aboard to visit the captain of the ship. When the permission was granted he stepped on the deck and headed towards the bridge. He hadn’t taken more than ten paces aboard the ship and there she was. He flinched slightly when he caught a sight of Ginny on the deck. This was exactly what he had wanted to avoid. But looking at her, he also couldn’t have been happier that she was there, looking beautiful as ever.

With the corner of her eye, Ginny saw a high-ranking officer, dressed in khaki uniform, walking on the deck of USS New York. Without looking at him directly, she knew it was the one person she had feared bumping into. Ginny would have recognized Commander Lawson’s swagger in pitch black if needed. She had followed his mannerisms aboard USS San Diego for weeks and the way he carried himself had become so familiar to her, that she simply couldn’t have mistaken him with someone else. He had this air of confidence about him when he was on the job, when had to appear like a leader and wasn’t busy making a spectacle of himself in front of her. His overflowing self-confidence was something she had never witnessed in another man before. 

Their eyes met briefly as he passed her by. At that moment, when Ginny was sure, that he wouldn’t express in any way recognizing her, he winked at her shamelessly. Without any other gesture giving away his acknowledgement of her, he continued towards the bridge, leaving her stare after him with a stunned look on her face.

She had to constrain her emotions while she stayed on the deck. Not showing how she felt was difficult, when she was practically screaming inside. What had been going through her mind, when she had decided, that seeing Commander Lawson would help her to stop thinking about him? Him walking by her and giving her one lousy wink was all she needed to be willing to throw herself at him. Why wouldn’t she be? He was still as fuckable as he had been when she was assigned to USS San Diego.

Walking along the passageway, there wasn’t any doubt left in Mike’s mind, if Petty Officer Baker ever let him, he would definitely have sex with her. Regardless of the Navy rules and regulations or him being a commander and her a petty officer. He just wanted to get inside her, fuck her long and hard, make her come and get his own lust for her satisfied in the process.

 

\--

Mike had trouble concentrating in what Captain Oscar Arguella was saying to him. Something about the meeting with all the commanding officers participating in the exercise and Mike just settled to agree with him, asking him to send an email about the details. If Captain Arguella noticed Mike being distracted, he didn’t mention it.

The only thing going through Mike’s mind, was Petty Officer Ginny Baker. Mike wanted to ask about her, but didn’t want to sound too eager. He weighed his words carefully, before speaking.

“One of my sailors was reassigned to your ship last year. How’s she doing?” His voice remained neutral enough.

It took Captain Arguella few second to recollect of whom Mike was talking about.

“Ah, yes, Petty Officer Baker. She’s doing fine,” he told Mike without really knowing if that was the case. He, like any other captain aboard Navy ship, had to rely on his XO to inform him, if there was a sailor who wasn’t OK.

“That’s good,” Mike did his best to maintain his professional tone.

 “So, what was the real reason behind her reassignment? I read the papers, but I assume it was just the official story?” Captain Arguella wasn’t born yesterday, he knew how the Navy worked. A sailor wasn’t reassigned, unless the reasons were serious.  

“One of the senior officers aboard the ship developed feelings for her,” Mike didn’t see a reason to lie to him, but left his own name conveniently out from his answer.

“And did they take the feelings to the next level?” Arguella asked bluntly.

“No, nothing like that, but the possibility was there. I talked to her and she agreed with me, that a reassignment was the best thing to do,” Mike told him. It was the truth, after all, except for the one stray kiss.

“These are the problems women face in the Navy, being on the same ship for months with horny men.”

“Tell me about it,” Mike knew exactly what he meant. He had been that horny man, when it came to Ginny Baker. Still was. Arguella’s comment didn’t change how he felt about her.

Returning from the bridge, Mike’s fear of bumping into Ginny had turned into wanting it. He wondered, if she was on the deck or somewhere inside the ship. If she was on the Afternoon watch, she’d probably be on the deck, waiting for orders. It was a tedious routine while in port, but gave him a possibility to talk to her. What was he thinking? What exactly would he say to her, if he saw her again? “ _Nice weather, Petty Officer Baker. Did you miss my ass?_ ” He rolled his eyes at his own stupidity as he climbed down the ladders.

But still, he did want to see her. He could always take a tour around the ship, to maximize the possibility. It was almost 2pm, she could be in the mess hall. Or if she was on the deck, he could wait for her. His extensive knowledge of war strategies could come handy, if he wanted to ambush her when she came back inside. He could catch her on some passageway, like the good old days. He smirked at how clever he was being. A master strategist at the very least.

Mike stopped at the bottom of the ladders, considering his options. Turn right, and he’d get to the mess decks and turn left, he’d be outside in no time. His mind was pulling him to the right, but his feet didn’t move. For a good moment he just stood there, looking like he was lost.

“Sir, excuse me,” Ginny’s voice, coming from behind him, draw his attention. He turned his head towards her, being almost disappointed, that he couldn’t use his skills to track her down. “If you don’t mind, Sir,” she said and nodded at him, pointing out how he was blocking her way.

He took a step back in silence, giving her room to pass by. She walked by him, trying her best to act cool. One look at her rosy cheeks would have given her away.

“Petty Officer Baker,” he called after her and made her stop. She turned around to face him.

“Yes, Sir?” she was hoping he didn’t notice the trembling of her voice. He didn’t. He was too busy making sure he disguised the uncertainty in his own voice.

“Are you on the Afternoon watch, petty officer?” He enquired, managing to somehow sound confident. He moved closer to her, stopping right in front of her.

“Yes, Sir,” Ginny affirmed his assumption. Why did he have to stand so close and smell so damn good? It only made her want to touch him, grab his ass and pull him against her.

“And on liberty after that?” Mike caught Ginny off guard with his question. She didn’t know how to respond to him. Not because she didn’t know if she was on liberty, but because she was surprised that he would ask her something like that.

“I… Yes, I am, Sir,” she finally managed to confirm. Him standing only a foot away brought back the vivid memories from USS San Diego, when he had last been near enough for her to feel the warmth radiating from him.

He remembered it too, what it was like to be this close to her and what it did to him. Was it that or something else that clouded his judgement and made him utter the words? “You know where to find me, if you feel the need,” he said to her without blinking an eye, then turned around and headed towards the deck like nothing had happened, leaving her stare after him for the second time that day.

Ginny couldn’t tell if what had just happened was real or in her imagination or if she had understood him correctly. Had Commander Lawson just asked her to come over to his ship for… sex?

Mike was asking the exact same question from himself. Did he really just ask a Petty Officer Baker to come over for sex? Aboard his ship? Appearing confident was one thing, but this was bordering insanity.

All the sudden he panicked at the idea. “Oh, Jesus fucking Christ, what have I done? What if she comes? What the fuck have I done? Don’t be ridiculous, she’s not going to come.”

He rushed down the ladders and hurried back to USS San Diego, not stopping before he reached his private quarters and slumped on his chair. He buried his face in his hands, scolding himself for what he had done. If this wasn’t a free ticket to court-martial, nothing was.

Aboard USS New York, Ginny did her best to stay calm for the rest of the watch. Underneath her heart was pounding manically, trying to burst through her chest. The way Commander Lawson affected her, was unparalleled. What Noah had made her feel, was like a black and white rendition of the technicolor sensation Mike Lawson gave her. And Trevor before Noah, yeah, Trevor who? And the commander did this with a mere wink of an eye and few well executed lines.

The remainder of the Afternoon watch felt like the longest two hours of Ginny’s life. When it finally ended, she hurried back to her berthing area in the lower decks. She had to escape her shipmates’ inquisitive glances before someone noticed how fidgety she was. Her hands were shaking and her heart was still beating like crazy. It wasn’t because she was anxious about Mike’s words or torn between going or not going. It was because she had made up her mind and the consequences for that could be far-reaching.

Ginny had known from the moment Mike had said the words to her, that she would go to him. Now she was left to justify her decision to herself. So many things spoke against it but she only needed one to overrule every single one of them. That one reason was the physical need she felt for him. She wanted him that much, that the possibility of getting caught and in trouble for it weighed far less than a chance to experience something wonderful with him. And it was the forbidden part, that made it all the more attempting.

Ginny rested her head and back against the metal locker and let out a relieved breath. This was going to be a closure one way or another. Whether this was just scratching the itch or something more, the uncertainty wound end. She would finally know, if the man could live up to the fantasies she had created in her mind. She grinned at the thought, there was a lot to live up to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably getting smuttier in the next chapter. Must try to live up to that "E" rating. I don't know how I'll ever manage that :D

**Author's Note:**

> If you want part 2/2 for this, leave a comment.


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